This summer Islamic websites posted audio recordings of two speeches by Osama bin Laden given three days apart. In the first speech, from June 30, 2006, bin Laden eulogizes Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi; in the second, from July 2, 2006, he addresses the Muslim nation, and in particular jihad fighters in Iraq and Somalia, and calls on them to continue their jihad since it is the only possible way.

The following are translations of these speeches as well as links to other statements made by bin Laden from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Studies Project archives.

Bin Laden Speech From June 30, 2006

In his eulogy for Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi, bin Laden calls him "one of our greatest heroes and commanders," and addresses the following words to George Bush: "Do not overly rejoice... for the banner has not fallen but has [merely] passed from one lion of Islam to another, and we will continue to fight you and your allies wherever you may be..." The following are excerpts from the speech:

*"Al-Zarqawi Lay the Foundations for the Defense of Islam and for the Restoration of Palestine, and Avenged the Oppressed..."

"Our Muslim nation has lost its intrepid hero - the lion of jihad, a man of resolve and action, Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi - Ahmad Al-Khalayla - who was killed in a criminal American attack. 'To Allah we belong, and to Him we return.' [Koran, 2:156] May Allah grant his wish and accept him as a martyr, reward him generously, and comfort his family and relations...

"[My] dear Islamic nation, though it was sad for us to part from Abu Mus'ab and his companions, we rejoiced that they were killed in this great campaign, while defending Islam. And though we lost one of our greatest heroes and one of our choicest commanders, we rejoiced that we found in him a lasting model and example for the future generations of our great nation. The fighters will remember him and praise him in song and in prose, in private and in public...

"Abu Mus'ab met his death with his head held high and in noble spirit - free, proud and loyal, [a man who] never committed any depraved act in violation of his faith, never kept silent in the face of injustice, and never paid court to anyone at the expense of the truth. [He] was unyielding towards the infidels and merciful towards the Muslims, he urged [others] to go to war and fought for his religion. As he himself said: 'There is no value to a life in which they violate the honor of our wives, trample the honor of our sisters, and in which we are ruled by the worshipers of the cross.' He also said: 'We fight in Iraq with our eyes cast towards Jerusalem, which will not be restored but by the guidance of the Koran and the victorious sword.' He was loved by his friends and respected by his enemies, and the honest among them acknowledged his merits and praised him, and this is not to be wondered at...

"Abu Mus'ab followed in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad and in the footsteps of [our forefathers] who died before him.... He leaped forth into battle with a smile on his lips. Allah gave him honor and upheld his memory, and he has become a model for those who come after him...

"Abu Mus'ab was killed after Allah granted him guidance. He laid the foundations for the defense of the faith and for the restoration of Palestine, and avenged the oppressed [people of Palestine] by killing many Americans, who are the allies of the Jews. He defeated them and killed their men, undermined their status, depleted their funds, scattered [their ranks], and crushed their pride, thus emboldening everyone against them. He grandly went down in history, and added luster to it... The story of his life will forever be [enshrined] along with the biographies of the most distinguished sons [of the Muslim nation]...

"Abu-Mus'ab taught humanity practical lessons in how to take one's liberty by force - since liberty is not given freely to those who submit to [the rule] of democracy. He taught humanity to rebel against tyrants, at this time when the present-day Pharaoh and leader of the infidels [George] Bush, along with his companions, high-handedly dominates [the world] and tramples every value and [international] convention. Proof of this is the invasion of Iraq and [what goes on in] Guantanamo prison.

"[The Americans] terrorized the people, overpowered them with fire and iron, and treated their leaders like slaves. The present-day Pharaoh came to Iraq, disregarding the resistance and the demonstrations of the masses who called out: 'No to spilling red blood for the sake of black oil!' He disdained the whole world and arrogantly brought his army and his weapons to Iraq, imagining that the courageous lions had changed their nature and that the men of Islam had turned into females - after the Arab leaders, kings and presidents, yielded to him, [swore] loyalty to him and abased themselves before him, each of them feeling his head and [wondering] when his turn to be buried will come.

"The enemy attacked Iraq and began to oppress the people and to bomb the villages. The deafening noise of the fighter-jets filled the land, and the bombs sowed death [everywhere]... The mountains shook and [the people's] hearts were in their mouths, and the powerful and the mighty cowered in their homes, did not make their voices heard and their feet gave out beneath them in fear. Falsehood puffed up, and the hypocrites violated the agreements and threw their lot in with the Christians and Jews, while the Muslims took to hiding like sheep seeking shelter in a rainy winter night in a land of wild animals.

"In these alarming and unfortunate circumstances, when we saw leaders who were not [true] leaders, religious scholars who were not [true] religious scholars, and men who were not [true] men... in these grave and shocking circumstances, the hero of Islam Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi stepped forth... He came with a group of 17 believers - not 17 armies - who formed an alliance and swore to Allah to make His faith victorious or else to die in its defense... Are [the enemies] they are fighting equal to them in number? Do they outnumber them two to one? No, they do not! Do [the enemies] outnumber them ten to one? No, they do not! The armies of evil and their weapons came in [great] waves like the waves of the sea. But one whose faith has been strengthened by Allah [will] stand fast when even mountains shake. Our hero [Al-Zarqawi] entered the fray bearing his banner and resolved to fight to the last...

"[The jihad fighters] entered the fray and began to fight [armed only] with a small number of Kalashnikovs, anti-tank mines and bazooka launchers... They brought their boldness, their fighting spirit and their magnificent morale from Afghanistan to Baghdad, and they lit the fuse of jihad, and it set off the energy [of the jihad fighters] all over [Iraq]...

"This hero [i.e. Al-Zarqawi] is the one who achieved all this, with Allah's help, using limited resources and without the support of an international coalition, a regional alliance or a global organization... Yes, this hero of Islam stood up against the present-day Pharaoh and against American imperialism, after the international organizations, the regional coalitions and the entire world failed to stop [the Americans'] cruel aggression...

"To those who accuse the hero of our [Islamic] nation of killing Iraqis from certain sectors [i.e. Shi'ites], I say: When someone comes to you and says that a certain individual had poked out his eye, wait until you see the accused, since you may discover that the plaintiff had actually poked out both eyes [of the accused]. This is what emerged in the last few weeks, [when Iraqi] MP Muhammad Al-Dain began to [reveal] the oppression and tyranny that [Sunni] Muslim prisoners are subjected to in the Iraqi jails, [and when] the heads of the [Sunni] Clerics Council talked about the extermination campaign [being waged] against the [Sunni] Muslims in Iraq."

*Al-Zarqawi was Instructed to Kill Those Who Insisted on Fighting Alongside the Crusaders

"Abu Mus'ab had clear instructions to focus his [operations] on the invaders and occupiers, headed by the Americans, and to leave alone anyone who wished to be neutral. But anyone who insists on fighting with the Crusaders against the Muslims must be killed, no matter who he is, regardless of his [sect, i.e. whether he is a Sunni or Shi'ite] and his tribal affiliation - since aiding the infidels against the Muslims is one of the ten [gravest] sins, for which a Muslim loses his identity as a Muslim.

"I say to George Bush: You must give the hero's body back to his family, and do not rejoice overmuch [at his death], since the banner has not fallen but has [merely] been passed from [one] lion of Islam [to another]. We will continue to fight you and your allies wherever you may be in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan and Somalia - until we deplete your funds and kill your men, and you will return to your country defeated, just as we once defeated you in Somalia.

"I also say to your agent in Jordan, [King 'Abdallah II]: Stop your tyranny. You prevented Abu Mus'ab from entering his homeland during his life, [but] do not prevent him from doing so now. You are the one who should leave Jordan and go to the Hijaz, which was your homeland and the homeland of your forefathers before Britain appointed your [great-]grandfather [King] 'Abdallah I as its agent in Jordan. What have you to fear from Al-Zarqawi [now that he is] dead? [Are you afraid] because you know that his funeral - assuming the Muslims are allowed to conduct it as they wish - will be huge, and will demonstrate the intense sympathy that the Muslims feel towards their sons, the jihad fighters?

"In conclusion, I will say that Al-Zarqawi did not bring honor only to his tribe, his homeland and his [Islamic] nation, but to humanity as a whole, since he embodied the [true] meaning of glory, defiance, sacrifice and martyrdom. If the world studies the magnificent story of his life, its children will learn that faith in Allah creates men who fight against [the forces of] evil and falsehood. Every educator and writer should use [Al-Zarqawi's] life as a source of material for enriching the souls of the future generations. Every poet should write verse about this falcon...

"Allah have mercy upon Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi and upon all others who bore arms for the sake of Allah." [1]

Bin Laden Speech From July 2, 2006

In his July 2 speech, bin Laden called on the jihad fighters in Iraq to fight against the "Crusader armies" and expel them from the country, and then to punish the Iraqi parties that had "collaborated" with them. He also congratulated Al-Zarqawi's successor Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir. Addressing the jihad fighters in Somalia, he called on them to cleave to the ways of Islam, to support the Islamic Mahakim Al-Shari'a militia which has taken control of Mogadishu, and to refrain from assisting the "traitor 'Abdallah Abu Yusuf and the invading international forces." The following are excerpts from the speech:

*"It is Inconceivable That [Shi'ites] From the South of Iraq Should Collaborate With America... While Their Areas Remain Safe From Harm and Retaliation"

"In this speech, I address at the Islamic nation as a whole, [but] especially the jihad fighters in Iraq and Somalia.

"[My dear] brothers the jihad fighters in Baghdad - the [capital] of the Caliphs - and its environs, your continued brave operations against the Americans and their helpers have filled the Muslims with happiness, joy, delight and exaltation. With your excellent activity, which brings joy to those who are sad and raises a smile on the face of bereaved mothers, you have lifted up the heads of the Muslims - may Allah reward you as you deserve.

"The eyes of the entire Muslim nation are turned to you, and its lips are saying a prayer for you. The [Muslim] nation shares your joys and your pains; next to Allah, you are its greatest hope. It regards you are the loyal soldiers of Allah, and believes that your victory is the victory of [Islam] and of its honor. Your victory will deliver the Muslim nation from servitude and from dependence on the Crusaders and their agents in our country. You will put an end to the humiliation, the fear, the injustice and the oppression. You will establish a just and true [government] and promote welfare and security. [You will] spend the county's wealth on its people and on those who are entitled [to this wealth] by building the country and meeting the needs of the people - instead of [allowing] most of this wealth to go to the Crusaders and their agents.

"I say to the people of Iraq: When one observes the great catastrophes that have befallen Iraq, one finds that the main reason [for these catastrophes] is the Crusaders' invasion and occupation of the country, [which took place] with the collaboration of [certain Iraqi] party leaders. [These leaders] encouraged [the Crusaders] to invade Iraq and called on their followers to join the apparatuses of the apostate governments that were formed by the Americans - such as the governments of Al-'Alawi, Al-Ja'fri and Al-Maliki, in order to fight their cousins in Baghdad, Mosul, Diyala and Al-Anbar who refused to surrender to the Crusader occupier. [These party leaders] also labeled the noble fighters 'terrorists,' killed them and bombarded their homes, and this is why [the jihad fighters] retaliated against the tribes and parties who chose to betray [their brothers] and became the assistants of Crusader America.

"The first step towards achieving stability in Iraq is expelling the Crusader armies by force, and then punishing the leaders of the parties - for example the parties [headed by] Al-Ja'fri, Al-Hakim, Al-'Alawi, and Tareq Al-Hashemi - who lied to the people and told them that the best way to expel the occupiers was to participate in the political process. But Al-'Alawi's government finished its term, and the occupier did not leave. Then Al-Ja'fri's government also [finished its term], and the occupier [still] did not leave. And now Al-Maliki's apostate government is following in the footsteps of Al-Ja'fri's government, since it is nothing but another facet of that [same] government.

"In short, it is inconceivable that many [people] from the south [of Iraq, i.e. Shi'ites] should collaborate with America and its allies in ransacking [the towns of] Al-Faluja, Al-Ramadi, Ba'quba, Mosul, Samarra, Al-Qaim and other towns and villages, while their [own] areas remain safe from harm or retaliation.

"I say to our [entire] Islamic nation: Despite the courageous operations of the jihad fighters against America and its apostate agents... the unarmed Muslims in Iraq are [still] targets of an extermination campaign carried out by the treacherous and hate-filled gangs which were positioned in all the sensitive areas [of Iraq] during the previous Al-Jaf'ri administration, and are still positioned [there] during the present Al-Maliki administration.

"Leaders from the [Sunni] Clerics Council in Iraq therefore issued a warning and called to save the Muslims from the terrible extermination campaign to which they are being subjected. Some prominent leaders among them were Sheikh Bashar Al-Faydhi, Sheikh 'Abd Al-Salam Al-Kubaysi and Sheikh Harith Al-Dhari. [Al Dhari] recently said explicitly that [the Muslims] were being exterminated, and that over 40,000 [of them] have been kidnapped, tortured and killed by the Crusader forces and by Al-Ja'fri's apostate forces...

"The Muslims must understand [this], and help their brothers in Iraq with funds and men, in order to stop the [campaign waged] against them by the Crusader enemy and by the [Iraqi] apostates. Our Muslim brothers in Iraq should know that they must not grovel before the Crusaders, or [take] half-measures [against them]. The [Muslims in Iraq] will have no escape [from their plight] unless they adhere to Islam, maintain their unity, avoid division and dispute and stick to jihad.

"Let your swords be your fortress. Take care not to be tempted by the parties and groups who joined these [Iraqi] governments. That is a grave matter, [since] these governments and political alliances are nothing but a ploy against you, and since your blood drips from the swords of these people every day. Only iron can dent iron. Anyone who hopes to convince these apostates, without weapons [i.e. by peaceful means], to stop fighting the Muslims in Baghdad and its environs, is like a fool who tries to convince the wolves to stop preying on the cattle. It will never happen, and the evil actions of the infidels, the Crusaders and the apostates will not be stopped except through war... Cleave to jihad and join the ranks of the jihad fighters...

"Finally, I have heard that my brothers the jihad fighters in Al-Qaeda have chosen the noble brother Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir to replace Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqwi as their commander. May Allah make him a worthy successor to [Al-Zarqawi], and may both he and I have patience and piety, [and may we] continue our jihad so that Allah's word will be supreme.

"[Al-Muhajir] must do his utmost to remain on the Shura Council of the Jihad Fighters, since all dissent is bad while unity is grace... I also advise him to focus his campaign on the Americans and on those who support and assist them in their war on the Muslims in Iraq. I pray that Allah will bless his jihad and all the mujahidoon in Iraq, and will help them to liberate Iraq from the Crusaders and hypocrites and to establish the rule of Islam..."

*"The Coming of an [International] Military Force to Somalia... [Can Only Be Interpreted] as a...Crusader Campaign"

"In addition, I want to address our brothers in Somalia and to say to them: Somalia embraced Islam [in the past], and Somalia then enjoyed the right guidance, the light, and the security [of Islam]. Afterwards, it parted ways [with Islam], on the day that Ziyad Beri rejected Islam, adhered to communism, and burned the honored religious scholars to death in the town square. The only path that will lead you to salvation is adhering to Islam and supporting [the rule of] the Mahakim Al-Shari'a, [2] which are striving to establish an Islamic state [in Somalia]. You should know that the gang that the foreign agent General 'Abdallah Yusuf has formed is a traitorous gang of foreign agents. Their call to foreign forces to occupy the country is sufficient proof of their being foreign agents. Members of parliament who opposed this decision will not be exempt from responsibility [for it] unless they repent and resign from this oppressive group and wash their hands of it.

"Every Muslim in Somalia must know that anyone who aids the apostate 'Abdallah Yusuf and the invading international forces will [be considered] an infidel in the full sense of the term and will be excluded from the community of believers; prayers will not be said for him, he will not be buried in a Muslim cemetery, his wife will be divorced from him, and he will have no rights of inheritance.

"I bless the jihad fighters in Somalia and ask Allah to strengthen you, to guide your gunfire and to give you victory over your enemies. Beware the stratagems of the infidels, for they are numerous and convoluted. One of these stratagems was [the Yemeni President] 'Ali 'Abdallah Salih's call to you and to your opponents to hold talks in San'a. He is an obedient American agent. Do you not remember that he was caught red-handed supplying oil from Aden to the American destroyer "Cole", which was on its way to enforce the blockade on the Iraqi people? He also cooperated with the Americans and allowed them to bomb, from their planes, the jihad fighters Abu 'Ali Al-Harithi and his brethren on Yemenite soil. These actions, not to mention others, are contradictory to Islam...

"There can be no dialogue with 'Abdallah Yusuf and his helpers other than that of the sword, and there is no time to be lost. Descend swiftly upon them in battle, and make sure not to let him escape from you like he has escaped in the past. For a Muslim must not be bitten [by a snake] from the same snake-hole twice.

"As for the international forces, the matter is simple. They lack fighting spirit, and they have no cause for which to fight. Ask Allah for help, and prepare the necessary means - especially anti-tank mines and anti-armor RPGs. Be steadfast, like your brothers in Iraq and Afghanistan, in this Crusader world-war against our Islamic nation, for you have already seen, a few years ago, the defeat of America and its allies in your land, and this time the victory will be even easier.

"I say to the Islamic nation: we lost the Caliphate and it was dismantled. It fell under Crusader occupation approximately a century ago, and since that time the Crusaders have stood between us and the reconstitution of the Caliphate, or even the establishment of any Islamic nation. An example of this was their recent invasion of Afghanistan and the pressures they put on Sudan to make it give up on establishing an Islamic state.

"In this context comes the readiness to send military forces to Somalia according to America's recommendation, claiming that this is meant to help the [Somali] citizens and to establish security. They are lying about this. The Somalis have been suffering from tribal warfare ever since America was defeated there some 15 years ago. Can any reasonable person believe that they became aware of this tragedy only now? Or perhaps the real motivation [for sending the troops] is that the Mahakim Al-Shari'a [movement] has conquered the capital and exerted its influence over most of the important regions in attempt to establish an Islamic state. We cannot interpret the coming of a military force to Somalia - even from a state that claims to be Islamic - except as a continuation of the Crusader campaign against the Islamic world.

"We warn all the nations of the world not to agree to America's request to send international forces to Somalia. We swear to Allah that we will fight its soldiers on Somali soil, and we reserve the right to punish [the countries participating in the international forces] on their own soil, or anywhere else, at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner.

"I urge the Muslim youth and businessmen to contribute generously and to supply all of the jihad fighters' needs through reliable intermediaries - especially in Palestine, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Sudan. Be alert to the fact that the situation in Iraq is severe, and fear God, for your own sake and for your brothers' sake. For if you let Baghdad fall today, tomorrow you will lose Damascus, Amman, the [Persian] Gulf, and Riyadh. This is serious and is no joking matter. Danger imperils the entire region. Whoever studies history learns the lesson...

"Take care not to wait and tarry, as some of the Muslims did when they tarried in saving the Islamic government in Afghanistan. This is a golden opportunity and a personal obligation [incumbent] upon everyone who is capable [of fulfilling it], and you must not miss this opportunity to establish the nucleus of the Caliphate..."

*Links to Additional bin Laden Speeches

MEMRI TV Clip No. 1002, "Al-Qaeda Leader Osama bin Laden in New Audio-Recording Threatens New Attacks in the U.S.," January 19, 2006, http://memritv.org/clip/en/1002.htm ;

TV Clip No. 989, "Archival Footage of Osama bin Laden in Sudan," January 2006, http://memritv.org/clip/en/989.htm ;

Special Dispatch No. 838, "Osama bin Laden: 'Today There is a Conflict Between World Heresy Under the Leadership of America on the One Hand and the Islamic Nation With the Mujahideen in its Vanguard on the Other,'" December 30, 2004, Osama Bin Laden: 'Today There is a Conflict between World Heresy Under the Leadership of America on the One Hand and the Islamic Nation with the Mujahideen in its Vanguard on the Other' ;

Special Dispatch No. 837, "Osama bin Laden to the Iraqi People: It is Forbidden to Participate in Iraqi & PA Elections; Jihad in Palestine and Iraq is Incumbent Upon Residents of All Muslim Countries, Not Just Iraqis and Palestinians; Zarqawi is the Commander of Al-Qa'ida in Iraq," December 30, 2004, Osama Bin Laden to the Iraqi People:It Is Forbidden to Participate in Iraqi & PA Elections; Jihad in Palestine and Iraq is Incumbent upon Residents of All Muslim Countries, Not Just Iraqis and Palestinians; Zarqawi is the Commander of Al-Qa'ida in Iraq ;

TV Clip No. 419, "Osama bin Laden in a New Audio Tape: Saudi Arabia Government Responsible for Lack of Security and Peace," December, 16, 2004, http://memritv.org/clip/en/419.htm ;

Special Alert No. 14, "Osama bin Laden Tape Threatens U.S. States," November 1, 2004, Osama Bin Laden Tape Threatens U.S. States ;

TV Clip No. 312, "Osama bin Laden's Speech on the Eve of the 2004 U.S. Elections," October 29, 2004, http://memritv.org/clip/en/312.htm ;

Special Dispatch No. 695, "Osama bin Laden Speech Offers Peace Treaty with Europe, Says Al-Qa'ida 'Will Persist in Fighting' the U.S.," April 14, 2004, Osama Bin Laden Speech Offers Peace Treaty with Europe, Says Al-Qa'ida 'Will Persist in Fighting' the U.S. ;

Special Dispatch No. 539, "A New bin Laden Speech," July 18, 2003, A New Bin Laden Speech ;

Special Alert No. 9, "Message From bin Laden," March 17, 2003, Message From Bin Laden ;

Special Dispatch No. 476, "Bin Laden's Sermon for the Feast of the Sacrifice," March 5, 2003, Bin Laden's Sermon for the Feast of the Sacrifice.